It's Just Business
by Inspiration17
Summary: That's what Sasuke told himself when a false accusation forces him to watch his best friend be fired. Now Sasuke must face Naruto again, only this time they are equals in the business world, and to Naruto it's all just business. But is it to Sasuke? Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**This is a SasuNaru in the modern world. **

**I do not own anything.**

"_Would Uzumaki Naruto please report to the President's office? Uzumaki-san, report to the President's office."_

Naruto's ears twitched at the sound of his name over the intercom, but he wasn't necessarily surprised. He was constantly being called to the head office for something or another. Sometimes it regarded an overly-done prank, but more likely than not the visit consisted of Naruto being asked whether he'd be joining the family for dinner or not.

The blonde wasted no time in finishing his last document and heading to the stairs. He could take the elevator, but ever since he was young, Naruto had loved the stairs at Uchiha Corp.

When he was young, the orphanage that raised him had no idea what to do with the excess energy radiating from the small boy. Their solution had been simply: take Naruto to the largest building in the city and have him run up and down the stairs until he was too tired to cause trouble.

That building was Uchiha Corp. Every day for a month Naruto would go after classes try to sprint as fast as he could. At first the employees had been annoyed, but few used the stairs anyway, so the complaint went overlooked. Eventually, though, the staff began to recognize the blonde little boy with whisker-like scars and welcomed his warm smile in their mundane work schedule. Suki, on the secretarial staff, would use the new watch her boyfriend gave her to time him. Ryo, a business consultant, took the time to pack an extra water bottle for the Blonde's walk home. Juju, the purple-haired widow with three kids who worked in the colorful cubicle covered in artwork by her children, made sure to bring spare cookies for him when she made them for her family.

In all, by age seven Naruto had become a permanent presence at the office. He would spend his time chatting with the workers on the first twelve floors, easily entertaining them with stories and jokes. It was the higher floors he avoided. Floor thirteen through twenty were where the big wigs worked, and bugging them could only lead to problems. The only time Naruto saw the higher offices was when he was running the stares, and even then he would never open one of the doors.

In the heat of the summer, Naruto became wrestles. One certain 23rd of July had him with more pent up energy than normal. He was bored and most of his staff friends were too overwhelmed with the summer rush to spend time with him, so he decided to take a run.

For the first time since his arrival, the seven-year-old made it all the way to floor twenty without a stop. By the time he crossed the final step, his brow was sweaty and his knees shook with exhaustion. Giving into the weariness, Naruto allowed his small figure to slump against the doorway.

"_But Father, you said you'd be home soon," _a small voice mumbled.

Naruto sat up and glanced around. No one was there. He pressed his ear to the door, and sure enough, voices were floating through.

"_Not now, Sasuke. This is the summer rush. I'm very busy, so please go home and tell your mother not to wait with dinner. Your brother and I shall return late,_" a deeper voice responded, his tone flat and without room for argument.

"_Father…"_ the little boy's voice started, but a small sniff passed and he restarted his sentence. _"Yes Father."_

Naruto only barely managed to move to the side before the metal door flung open and a very put-out raven came marching down the stairs, his small sneakers crashing loudly against the metal.

"Stupid Father!" the boy seethed.

"You shouldn't say that about your dad. He must be pretty smart to make it onto the top floor," Naruto interrupted.

The black-haired child swung around, his dark eyes wide in shock at someone overhearing his personal monologue.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "And what right do you have to tell me about my father?"

"No right," Naruto replied agreeably. "Just speaking as someone who has no father, wouldn't it be great to have a dad who was smart enough to be working on the top floor of the tallest building in Konoha City?"

He seethed quietly, glaring his dark eyes at the cheery blonde. "I just wanted him to come home early tonight," he finally admitted, a slight pink tinting his pale cheeks.

"Why tonight?" Naruto pressed, sliding closer to his new companion.

"Because it's my birthday," the raven mumbled. He sat heavily on the stairs and buried his head in his arms.

Naruto absently stroked the boy's back. Birthdays, they meant little at the orphanage. No one really wanted to organize celebrations for 200 kids, so they didn't.

"You know," Naruto said easily, "if you're celebrating a birthday tonight, and there's extra food since some guests aren't showing, then perhaps I should stop by so your mother doesn't feel her cooking is insulted."

"I don't even know your name, dobe," the boy murmured through his arms.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" the blonde replied promptly.

He stared expectantly until the boy lifted his head and said, "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Well Sasuke," Naruto greeted, throwing his arm around the boy's small shoulder and completely ignoring the fact Sasuke hadn't given him permission to call him by name, "looks like we're having dinner tonight. Let's go!"

Sasuke allowed himself to be led by the pushy blonde. He had never been terribly social, so interacting casually with a person his age was foreign ground for him. But Naruto made it easy.

"Why are you here anyway?" Sasuke asked as his new friend took him downstairs.

Naruto explained his annual runs as the boys walked back to Sasuke's house. Being the just-turned-eight year old son of the richest man in town, Sasuke had never made the trip without a limo or escort. Walking with a friend was different and a bit scary, but the Uchiha found it fun all the same.

Mikoto Uchiha simply adored the new addition for dinner. The normally silent meal was full of life and playful banter between the boys, bringing more childishness out of Sasuke than his mother had ever seen. From that day on, Naruto's appearance at meals became a regular ordeal.

The boys became inseparable. Naruto was a constant presence at the Uchiha manor. As they got older and Sasuke spent hours studying at night, Naruto would assist Mikoto in the kitchen or play checkers with Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. On one such evening, Mikoto had questioned the blonde about his family worrying about him. The answer, in all its simple truth, tore at her motherly heartstrings, leaving her no choice but ask the orphanage to let the boy celebrate all holidays and vacations with the family. She would have adopted him right out if she could pull it off, but her husband wouldn't hear of it. Having the boy over to play was one thing, but making him an Uchiha was something else completely.

So the boys grew in their respective circumstances. Naruto introduced Sasuke to his friends at the office, and when they became old enough it was only natural both applied, and were accepted, for internship.

This leading to Naruto's climbing the stairs. His internship was on the lower floor, a normal starting point for someone of his standing, so the trip was always a long one, but Naruto enjoyed the challenge. He made it every day since Sasuke had been assigned an internship with the heads, learning the ins and outs of the company he would one day help run. He was on the 18th floor, and Naruto made the effort to go up and talk to him at least once a day.

So the young intern quickly bundled his things and headed for the upper-floors. It was nearly closing time anyway, so there would be no point in trying to come back down to work.

In leaps and bounds, Naruto raced his way up the stairs. By the 20th floor, he wasn't even sweating, just excited and ready to discuss whatever need be.

"Come in," a stern voice called after the first knock.

Naruto recognized the tone of Fugaku Uchiha's voice immediately. The man was pissed. Making a mental list of any prank he had done in the last week, Naruto quickly made his way into the room.

"You wished to see me, Uchiha-sama?" Naruto asked professionally. The office was not a casual place, and Naruto had been scolded more than once for being too familiar with his employers.

"Sit down, Uzumaki-san," Fugaku ordered. His dark eyes, identical to his sons, pierced through the boy. They were angry, infuriated even, but under Naruto saw a hint of sadness.

That's when Naruto knew it wasn't a meeting about some prank.

"Is something the matter, Uchiha-sama?" Naruto asked cautiously, attempting to test the waters before all hell broke loose.

Fugaku glared at the boy. "Yes, I must say there is, Uzumaki-san."

His explanation of what that something might be was cut off by the door once again opening. The Uchiha heir, Itachi, stormed into the room followed closely by his younger brother. Naruto tried to meet his friend's eyes, but Sasuke kept his attention trained on his father.

"Father this is crazy!" Itachi bellowed, striding right up to the eldest Uchiha's desk. "You know very well that Naruto could have nothing to do with this."

Naruto's eyes widened. He had always gotten along with his friend's brother, but the raw loyalty in Itachi's eyes both scared and pleased him. The Uchiha's really were his family.

"The facts are all present. There's even a witness," Fugaku stated calmly. "Naruto, this morning Hurano Sakura, daughter of one of the men on my private committee, reported a family necklace stolen from her purse on a visit here. You apparently were the only one to handle her coat and bag in the time it could have gone missing."

"I don't understand, sir," Naruto glanced around at the three men. None would meet his eye. "Are you accusing me of stealing?"

"Yes," Fugaku stated bluntly.

"But you know me!" Naruto cried, rising to his feet. "You know I would never steal!"

"Dobe, this isn't a personal matter; it's business," Sasuke interrupted. When Naruto swung around to face him, the boy once again refused to meet his best friend's hurt gaze.

"Why would I need the money?" Naruto demanded. "Why would I risk a secure job for a couple extra bucks?"

"You did buy Sasuke a very nice birthday present…"Fugaku stated mildly. The accusation still hadn't left his voice.

"Naruto saved up for months to buy those seat-covers for Sasuke," Itachi protested. "I can vouch for that since he asked me for extra shifts."

"But even with months an intern wouldn't be able to afford such fine leather and still live in the comfort of a nicely-sized apartment and feed himself. I know the boy's salary, and it's just not possible," the president explained, rubbing his eyes wearily. "Naruto, just give the necklace back. If you have already sold it, just give me the money, and I'll have it returned to Hurano-san."

Naruto didn't turn away from Sasuke as he slowly replied, "I didn't steal it."

"Then how did you get the money?" Fugaku pressed.

Naruto couldn't answer that. He had seen Sasuke staring at the covers in a store, but any such purchase would be seen as frivolous in the eyes of cynical Uchihas. Knowing that if given a present Sasuke would be unable to refuse, Naruto had saved and saved for them, but there wasn't much time before the raven's birthday. In a last minute effort, Naruto had taken the money he had been saving for a trip to visit his father's homeland and bought his friend a frivolous present that Sasuke would never allow himself to divulge in.

But Naruto couldn't tell the Uchiha's that. He couldn't bear the look on Sasuke's face when he explained what he had given up for some silly seat-covers. The true smile on Sasuke's face had made it all worth it, but learning the truth would make Sasuke return the goods immediately.

Naruto wouldn't have that.

"You know me," Naruto said again. He was looking right at Sasuke who had finally raised his head to stare back. "I didn't steal the money. Please, trust me Sasuke."

For a moment there was silence. Itachi and Fugaku waited to see their youngest family member respond.

Finally, Sasuke mumbled a single, heartbreaking, sentence. "Dobe, just pay the damn money and be done with this."

Naruto's heart sank to the very pit of his being. Sasuke, his Sasuke, his best friend, his only real family, had completely betrayed him. The raven didn't trust him. He wasn't going to believe Naruto's word.

"I will not pay," Naruto stated quietly. "I didn't steal anything."

"If you refuse, I'll have no choice but to fire you," Fugaku reminded him. "Don't be stupid Naruto."

"You know I didn't steal it," Naruto replied.

"I will not confirm or deny that, but Hurano-san is from a powerful family. If there is no retribution, we will lose all of their support."

"You would make Naruto a scapegoat?" Sasuke demanded, his eyes wide in shock. "Father, it's one thing if he really did it, but if he's truly innocent…"

"Stop thinking like a friend and start thinking like a business man," his father ordered. "This is an employee. If he will not cooperate with our arrangements, then there is no place for him in this company."

Sasuke shot a quick glance at Naruto only to see the blonde staring blankly at the wall. With a quick bow, Sasuke stepped back, thus revoking his protest.

"Father…" Itachi started, but he was cut off.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are dismissed from this company."

Sasuke had not spoken a word to Naruto Uzumaki since the day the blonde had exited the Uchiha Corporation eight years before. He hadn't chased his friend when Naruto walked out into the summer rain, and after that day, there had never been another chance.

The weeks after Naruto's departure had been overwhelming for the youngest Uchiha. Sasuke was swarmed with more work than he had ever handled, and extra responsibilities began to pile onto his desk. Before he knew it, a month had gone by before Sasuke ever even mentioned the blonde in conversation.

It wasn't that Sasuke didn't miss Naruto. He did; plenty. Every night, right before he shut his eyes, Sasuke would spare a moment to ponder on the current life of his disappeared friend. Naruto was well loved in the company, and his expulsion was met with much protest, but they never spoke of the events around Sasuke. They knew better.

But a month after Naruto was brought up, and the subject was breached by none other than Fugaku Uchiha himself. Sasuke had been in the office to clear up some technicalities on his paperwork when Fugaku and Itachi began a rather loud conversation.

"So you mean now, after all this time, you found out he wasn't lying and want to hire him back?"? Itachi asked stunned.

"I just received the call from Hurano-san saying he caught his daughter with the necklace," Fugaku explained.

At that Sasuke's ears had perked up.

"Necklace, Hurano-san….are you talking about Naruto?" Sasuke demanded, nearly dropping his documents.

Itachi gave a curt nod. "Yes, it seems dear little Sakura-san faked the whole thing. She confessed to wanting Naruto fired. Apparently, she was under the impression he was the only thing stopping you two from having a wonderful relationship."

Itachi spoke in an even tone, but anger radiated from him. After all that time, Itachi had remained the only person in the upper offices to believe Naruto's plea for innocence.

Itachi had been right.

"So the dobe can have his job back right?" Sasuke asked hopefully, glancing from father to brother in turn.

Fugaku gave his son a sympathizing look. "I have already had Itachi contact Uzumaki-san. It seems he has already left the city and has found a position in another firm."

Sasuke gasped. Naruto had gone; he had completely left Sasuke's life.

He hadn't even said goodbye.

"Itachi, did you tell him the circumstances?" Sasuke asked, his voice as close to pleading as his Uchiha blood would allow.

"Of course I did," Itachi replied exasperated. "I even played the "We are family" card."

Sasuke stared at his brother, waiting for him to continue.

"He said it was not a personal matter; it was business. It seems he has a respectable position in a company he thinks is about to take off. Naruto said he had to think like a business man."

A cold silence filled the office. The words rang true and bit into their skin.

"Smart boy," Fugaku said smoothly.

"Smart boy?" Sasuke cried, showing more feeling than he had for years. "You fired a great person, someone who would have improved this company with his very presence! Naruto was basically an Uchiha!"

"Exactly," Fugaku said with a sad smile, looking away from his children and out the clear glass that portrayed the sparkling lights of Konoha. "He could have been an Uchiha, and he proved that today. Naruto believed in something, and he stood by it. If he had stayed here with the deal I forced upon him, it would be a shadow over all of us forever. Instead, that kid broke free and will rise much higher than I ever imagined."

The subject of Naruto had been dropped after that, but Sasuke thought of his blonde constantly. Business was business, but what had happened to Naruto seemed like so much more. For some reason, remembering the pained look of betrayal on Naruto's once sunny face made Sasuke feel as if he had been the one to frame the boy. But Sasuke was worse, because Naruto had trusted him, and the Uchiha hadn't pulled through.

Suddenly, without Naruto, there was no personal. Everything became business. Sasuke spent every day at the office, working from morning until late in the night. If he went out for dinner, it was to meet a client; should he decide to attend a party, it was only due to the fact his presence there benefited the Uchiha Corporation in some way. That was the way Uchiha Sasuke lived his life for three years after Naruto's departure.

Thus, it was a business deal that took Sasuke to Suna, the city of lights. While Konoha was known for the lush forests surrounding the city, Suna had fame for their constantly shining sun.

Anyone else would have jumped for joy at the prospect at spending two warm weeks at the resort-like hotels of Suna in the midst of Konoha's rainy season, but Sasuke found little joy in the streaming rays of heat as he exited the personal jet. He had dressed in his normal attire: a plain black Armani suit with freshly shined black shoes and a tie with the Uchiha crest. As he made his way to the waiting limo, the dark colors simmered under the bright sky, toasting the Uchiha.

"Uchiha-sama, we are honored to have you here," a man in a grey suit said with a formal bow. "Sabaku-sama has arranged for your meeting to take this place this afternoon, as per your request."

Sasuke gave a curt nod and stepped into the dark car, waiting silently for the man to close the door behind him.

Kazekage Industries had risen to four times its original size in the last two years. Sabaku Gaara, the president and founder, was known for having one of the sharpest business minds in the modern age, and the red-haired protégée had been quick to realize that a deal with Uchiha Corp. was in order.

Personally, Sasuke had no care about any deal. He was perfectly content to leave the new company on its own and focus on the corporation, but Itachi, the new president since their father's retirement, had insisted.

"_This company is the biggest thing on the market right now," Itachi had said. "We'd be idiotic not to jump on a chance at a deal. Besides, you're job isn't to just conduct business. Rumor has it that Kazekage Industries has a secret ace up their sleeve. Sabaku-san is a genius, but there's something else holding the strings together over there. You will find out what it is."_

Sasuke groaned. He didn't want to wait his time searching for some secret weapon of Suna. In his opinion, it was best to leave well enough alone.

The limo stopped, and the door was opened for Sasuke. He stepped out into the sun once again and gazed upon his abode for the next two weeks.

The hotel was huge. The deep tan color of the walls soaked in the sun, making the place look like a sand castle built on the beach. A pool could be seen off to the side with rows of sunbathing chairs surrounding it. For any vacationer, it was heaven; for Sasuke, the whole place screamed utter annoyance.

"Your suit had been prepared, and a complimentary table has been reserved for you at the restaurant should you wish to have some lunch," the man in the grey suit said as he put the Uchiha's luggage onto a cart. "A car will be sent to pick you up at three o'clock for the meeting."

Sasuke gave a nod and made his way into the lavish building. The inside was just as impressive as the exterior. Dazzling chandeliers hung from the ceiling and lush carpets with complicated stitching covered the floor. It truly lived up to the 5-star rating.

"Uchiha-san!"

Sasuke glanced to his left to see none other than his old classmate Hyuuga Hinata making her way toward him.

"Uchiha-san, what a wonderful surprise to see you here," she greeted kindly. Hinata had always been one of the few females Sasuke could tolerate. She never clung to him for his looks, and her family had enough money that he never worried that she was merely speaking to him to get access to his fortune and status.

"Hyuuga-san, you look well," he replied.

Her pale cheeks blushed at the praise. "Oh Uchiha-san, you flatter me. Please, as old school friends, I insist you call me Hinata. It's only right."

Sasuke nodded once, showing he was willing to comply with her well meant request.

"So what brings you to Suna?" she asked.

"Business," the Uchiha answered curtly. "I am to meet the president of Kazekage Industries at three."

"Oh what a surprise!" she nearly gushed, her clear eyes bright with excitement at some unexpected good fortune. "My cousin and I are also here to meet with Sabaku-san. Apparently he wants to make an alliance between the three top companies."

Although he understood the logic of such a proposal, Sasuke found himself mildly annoyed at the forwardness of the new business owner. He was fond of Hinata, but that was the end of any positive feeling he felt toward Hyuuga Incorporated. The two family businesses had been in constant battle since their creation, and no little red-head whiz kid was going to change that.

"Then I suppose I shall see you at three," Sasuke responded stiffly.

"Indeed!"

Three o'clock rolled around just as Sasuke was finishing his meal in the restaurant. Just as promised, a private driver stood at the door waiting to drive him to the Kazekage building. It was a different driver than before, and they made the short journey in silence.

At exactly three-fifteen, Sasuke walked into a large conference room. Both Hinata and her cousin Neji were already seated at the end of the table. They're heads were lowered in whispered conversation. There was no sign of their host.

"If you would all be seated and help yourself to any refreshments, my employer will be attending to you momentarily. He is just now finishing a phone call with the American Embassy," an attendant said with a bow before exiting.

Sasuke took his seat near the whispering duo and waited silently.

Not two minutes later, a tall man in tan suit and sky blue tie walked in. He was young with cocky grin and possessed a mop of unruly blonde hair. But his eyes made Sasuke's very pulse freeze, for they were bright blue, like the sky, and the young Uchiha would recognize them anywhere.

"Honored guests, both the president and I are extremely pleased to have you here for these negotiations. As vice president to Gaara-sama, I shall be conducting the meeting this afternoon," said Naruto Uzumaki.

**Well that's chapter one. If you liked it or have constructive criticism, please let me know in a review. No flames. The full idea for the story isn't totally worked out yet, so if you have a suggestion please let me know.**

**Peace Out**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Watch out for mild cursing**

**Still don't own anything**

Sasuke could only stare at the boy, no, man before him. Naruto had grown in the last three years. The blonde's face no longer had a circular look of childhood but had instead chiseled out into a firm chin and high-boned cheeks. His three whisker marks looked even more prominent on his tan face, but instead of looking disfiguring and out of place, the scars gave the blonde an exotic look.

"Let's get down to business," Naruto suggested brightly. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, vice president of Kazekage Industries. I assume everyone else knows each other?"

"We are acquainted," Neji supplied, causing Naruto's smile to grow even wider.

"Excellent," he cheered. "Then no excuse to dilly-dally."

For the next three hours, Naruto explained every detail of his superior's grand idea. Sabaku Gaara wanted to link the three greatest companies. The results of such a merger would be ground braking. They would no longer be competing, but assisting each other to rise to the highest possible potential of their appointed category.

If Sasuke had been paying closer attention, he would have realized the sense of it all. Although the companies had a habit of going against each other in everything, the companies really were more suited to support each other. Uchiha Corporation focused on legalities of life. Their offices were packed with lawyers and judges. Hyuuga Incorporated centered around technology and how to improve the modern mechanics of the world. Finally, Kazekage Industries owned chains of restaurants, hotels, theme parks, and other things people attended to enjoy themselves. In all actuality, the three fit together perfectly.

But Sasuke wasn't paying close attention. He was too busy trying to comprehend that Uzumaki Naruto, his best friend, someone who had haunted him for the last three years of his life, sat right across from him. It rattled the raven's highly intelligent mind, yet Naruto seemed unfazed. He included Sasuke in the conversation, asked questions regarding Uchiha Corp., but he nothing in his manner suggested that he had ever known the Uchiha before that afternoon.

It broke Sasuke's heart.

For some reason, Sasuke had always assumed that Naruto was as affected by the events of three years past as he was. It had never occurred to him that the blonde would just shrug it off like all the other rotten things in his life.

Sasuke remembered how Naruto handled unpleasant memories. The blonde would close his eyes to the darkness of the present and find something he could throw himself into and forget. When he lived at the orphanage, Naruto had used the Uchiha's as an escape. Now, he had new escapes. Naruto had the Kazekage Industries and Sabaku Gaara to erase whatever painful memories he had revolving Sasuke.

"So I think this covers all the materials for today," Naruto said as he gathered skewed files across the table. Out the window the sun could just be seen lowering below the horizon, and Naruto had insisted that his guests take the night off to enjoy the festivities of a Suna evening. "Let's resume tomorrow at ten."

Hinata and Neji bowed and gave their farewell before exiting the room, leaving the raven alone with his old friend.

"Is there anything else I can assist you with, Uchiha-san?" Naruto asked as he stuffed materials into a briefcase. Earlier in the afternoon he had taken to calling both Uchiha's by their first name as per Hinata's request, but Sasuke was still just Uchiha-san.

"How have you been, Naruto-kun?" the raven asked quietly.

"I am very well, Uchiha-san," the blonde replied stiffly. "And I think it would be more appropriate for us not to address each other so casually. We are business partners now, not little boys on the playground."

Naruto headed for the door, but was stopped by a pale hand desperately clutching his elbow.

"Please, Na-Uzumaki-san," Sasuke pleaded, stopping himself from calling Naruto by his name. Uchihas never pleaded, but Sasuke couldn't watch his friend walk away. Not again. "Let's have dinner together. We can discuss business."

A conflicted look flashed covered Naruto's face, but eventually he gave a slow nod. "Very well, Uchiha-san. If there is something unclear about the proposal or you have private input, we can discuss it. I shall meet you in your Hotel's restaurant in one hour."

Sasuke nodded and released his grip on the blonde's arm. He was going to have dinner with Naruto. They were going to discuss business. And maybe, just maybe, Sasuke would find a hint of his old friend in the clean-cut business man standing before him.

Sasuke sat nervously at the table. Yes, he was nervous. Did Naruto hate him? Had he completely moved on in his life? Was there no longer room for Sasuke?

When the blonde walked into the dimly lit dining area, Sasuke couldn't decide if it was excitement or dread that filled his heart.

Naruto had changed his attire to fit the evening. He donned a black suit similar to Sasuke's own with a dark orange tie. At one time, Sasuke had made fun of the boy's love for the bright color, but now the splash of light seemed to offset the dim room and the gloomy persona usually accompanied by a plain black business suit. It seemed Naruto had not changed as much as Sasuke had originally feared.

"Uchiha-san," Naruto greeted as he sat. "Forgive my tardiness. Traffic was chaotic."

"No worries, Uzumaki-san," Sasuke replied, easily waving away the excuse. "Shall we order first?"

The men placed their order to the waitress and elapsed into a strained silence.

"So," Naruto finally said, breaking the ice, "what business did you have to discuss?"

Sasuke had pondered on how he would broach the subject of their history without scaring the blonde off. Naruto seemed to only want to talk about the companies, so Sasuke had decided to make their friendship part of the deal.

"I feel like Uchiha Corp. will struggle to complete this transaction you suggest with the history between you and the company," Sasuke stated clearly.

Shock flashed in his bright blue eyes, but it ebbed away and was slowly overtaken by anger.

"Are you referring to the accusation of me being a thief?" he demanded harshly. "There is hard proof of my innocents in the Huranos' court statement."

"Yes, I know," Sasuke replied quickly, "but if there are still negative feelings about that then I fear it will affect the companies."

Naruto stared at the tablecloth for a moment, shielding his eyes from the Uchiha. Slowly, he raised his head, but the look on his face was completely indecipherable.

"Negative feelings?" he asked, his voice little more than a whisper. "You think I don't have negative feelings? A pink-haired slut decides she doesn't get enough face time with her favorite hunk, and I lose my job."

"It wasn't supposed to turn out that way," Sasuke tried to reason. "We called you after the mess was cleared up."

"_Itachi_ called me," the blonde corrected icily. "Your brother was the one to defend me, try to get me back the life I lost, not you. Not my best friend."

Sasuke had nothing to say, so he just sat in silence.

"But I get it now," Naruto continued, his gaze going past Sasuke, like he was looking at something far away. "It was just business to you."

"Naruto, I screwed up saying that…"Sasuke started, but a fierce glare silenced him.

"You screwed up? That's your defense?" Naruto's voice rose to nearly a roar. The guests around them glanced over, but quickly moved their gaze at the pure fury radiating from the blonde. Quieting his tone, Naruto gave the Uchiha a pained look. "Uchiha Corp. was everything to me. It was more my home than the stupid orphanage, and you guys were the only family I had. Then pinky came and took it all away. How would you feel?"

"I'd hate the friend who betrayed me," Sasuke answered.

For a moment Naruto seemed surprised that his old friend agreed with him, but the moment passed. At that moment, the waitress appeared with their food, causing a tense silence to hang over the table.

When the woman left, Naruto gave a final statement.

"Yes, Uchiha-san, I have negative feelings," he said calmly, "but I will not allow my personal feelings to affect the results of our work. It's just business between us now."

Nothing else was said for the continuation of the meal. When the finished, Naruto placed money on the table and walked out without a word, leaving a very unsatisfied Uchiha sitting alone.

He knew he hurt Naruto. He had been expecting the hatred, but witnessing and expecting were very different. Every fiber of Sasuke's being burned with a want to go back and fix where he had screwed up.

The next morning, Sasuke arrived for the meeting early, hoping to catch the blonde for a private word before the Hyuugas arrived, but it was a useless attempt. Once again Naruto arrived a few minutes after the appointed time, claiming to be held up by other business.

"I'm not on vacation like all of you," the blonde had joked in his defense.

They spent their time in much the same way as they had the day before. Naruto proposed ideas while Sasuke and the Hyuugas debated about if it would fit into their current business plans.

With the shock of Naruto's presence worn off a little, Sasuke found himself able to focus on the ideas being thrown around much easier. And many of the proposals were good. He kept a list of ideas he planned to run by Itachi via telephone once the meeting ended for official approval. Sasuke wasn't sure how much was the genius Sabaku's ideas, but on almost all he could see a very clear flare that could only belong to Naruto.

In a way, Sasuke was proud that his dobe had risen to such heights.

In another way, Sasuke felt that this new Naruto was part of different world than the one they had shared before, and each spark of mastermind that occurred when Naruto had a new idea just reminded the Uchiha of how everything really had changed.

To his surprise, Naruto hadn't treated him any different than he had the day before. The blonde asked him for input, made sure to add extra bits to make sure Uchiha Corp. received the correct benefits. It was like their conversation the night before had never happened.

But it had happened.

"Sasuke-san, you seem a little gloomy today. Did you not sleep well?" Hinata asked when the group took a break for lunch.

"I slept fine, Hinata-san, it's just the weather isn't to my liking," Sasuke replied.

The Hyuuga heiress glanced at the clear blue sky scattered with clouds over the bright sun. It should have been considered a beautiful day, but she chose not to press the matter. Prying was rude.

"Hinata-sama, the car is ready for us. We must place the call to Hiashi-sama about the new ideas," Neji called.

Hinata bid Sasuke a quick goodbye and left to join her cousin, leaving Sasuke alone in the hallway.

A large clank boomed from the conference room. Sasuke rushed back to the door to see the source only to be met with a very interesting sight.

Naruto lay sprawled under stacks of paper. They covered him like a blanket. A pained groan could be heard from under the massive heap.

"Only a dobe would assume he could carry three boxes of documents," Sasuke smirked. He lifted the discarded box and began dusting the papers off.

"Shit!" Naruto hissed. "I don't need a bastard like you to help me."

"Actually you do," Sasuke corrected lightly. "You're going to get blood all over if you keep this up."

Naruto paused and gingerly patted the stinging area on his forehead. A slight gasp escaped him when his fingers came away red.

Before the blonde could react, Sasuke was already there. He gently sat the blonde up and dabbed the cut with a handkerchief from his pocked. If Sasuke hadn't been so intent of stemming the blood flow from the blonde's forehead, he might have noticed the look in Naruto's eyes.

Naruto had frozen un Sasuke's tender touch. For the first time in three years, Naruto wasn't looking at the Uchiha with hatred, anger, or disinterested politeness. His Naruto, the one from their childhood, was staring at him, and if Sasuke had seen his heart would have melted in joy.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san," Naruto forced out.

Sasuke shifted his dark eyes from his work to meet Naruto's. "I really think you should call me Sasuke. I'll still refer to you as Uzumaki-san if you'd like, but I don't like the way Uchiha-san sounds coming from you."

"No, you can call me Naruto."

Sasuke smirked. "Very well, Naruto-san."

"Just Naruto. And just Sasuke," Naruto insisted quietly.

"Just like in the old days."

"Yes, the old days."

They sat there, Naruto slightly in Sasuke's arms, their eyes fixed on each other. Suddenly, Sasuke felt an overpowering urge to lean forward those last couple inches and kiss the blonde. In fact, there was nothing in the world Sasuke wanted more than to press his lips to the slightly parted mouth of Uzumaki Naruto.

But he didn't. Sasuke had just gotten the blonde to take a second chance at friendship. Anything more would push him away, and the Uchiha refused to do that.

"Come on, let's clean up this mess before the Hyuugas get back," Sasuke suggested, getting to his feet and then helping Naruto do the same.

Naruto groaned. "Curse me and my clumsiness!" he cried and threw his hand to forehead in a dramatic flourish. "This will take us forever to get everything organized again."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Well we have an hour. Call some place that delivers and we'll stay and get this done."

Naruto nodded and scurried off to call a local shop.

Together, the two men spent the next hour sorting through the ruffled papers and eating takeout. While the worked, Sasuke took the opportunity to ask the questions that had plagues him since the minute Naruto refused to return to Uchiha Corp.

"How did you get caught up in Kazekage?" Sasuke asked.

"I met Gaara in the orphanage. We were roommates until his brother and sister found him and arranged for him to move out here to live with them," Naruto explained. "We had always kept in touch, and he had been trying to get me to come and help him with his business for years."

"But you said no?"

Naruto nodded, his eyes downcast. "At first, but after you guys kicked me out I had no one else to turn to."

"We didn't kick you out!" Sasuke protested, but Naruto cut him off.

"You didn't believe me. And that hurt more than losing my job."

They continued their cleanup for a few more minutes in a tense silence.

Sasuke broke. There was another question that had been eating at his mind. "Where did you get the money?"

The blonde gave him an embarrassed smile. "I'm not going to tell you. I have my pride you know."

The Uchiha groaned in frustration, causing Naruto to let out a deep laugh.

"Fine, keep your secrets," the raven conceded, "but if you had just come out and told us in the beginning then this whole thing would be avoided."

Naruto paused, set down the current stack of paper he was holding, and turned to Sasuke. "I shouldn't have had to defend my actions. After all those years of visiting your mansion full of things far more valuable than a silly piece of jewelry, don't you think things would have been missing sooner if I was a thief?"

Sasuke just shook his head in silent agreement.

"Besides," Naruto continued with a smile, "I like my life right now. Gaara and his siblings took me in as their own, and this company is everything to me. I've seen it grow from little more than a warehouse into something that has the right to deal with tycoons like Uchiha Corp. and Hyuuga Incorporated. I'm proud of what we've accomplished."

Sasuke didn't have to ask who the "we" was. He knew. Sabaku Gaara, the one who had picked up the shattered pieces when Sasuke couldn't.

"_It could have been me."_

The thought shocked the Uchiha, but it shouldn't have. If life hadn't been so twisted, Naruto would have been standing by _his_ side. Together, they could have taken Uchiha Corp. to a whole new level, but that was no longer Sasuke's role.

Gaara filled the empty space now.

By the time Hinata and Neji returned, the office was spotless. The two Hyuugas would never have suspected the whirlwind of paper it had been only an hour before.

"So, back to business?" Naruto greeted cheerily, and they launched into discussions full force.

Suddenly, with the new sense of peace between himself and the blonde, Sasuke found the afternoon enjoyable. The accomplished everything on the agenda in a timely fashion, and even a few jokes were thrown around (usually by Naruto) easing tension whenever stress began to build.

At the end of the day, everyone left pleased with the results.

And Sasuke wasn't just happy with Uchiha Corp.'s new prospects. Naruto was opening up to him again. Throughout the afternoon the blonde would send a quick grin to the raven whenever he found something especially humorous.

Sasuke knew he hadn't won back the trust he'd once held, but smiles were a start. He didn't know what it was a start to, exactly, but the thrill of once again being able to share a laugh with his old friend sent surges of pure delight through the Uchiha.

The following week and a half were spent in the same manner. Every day the business reps would meet, and every day Naruto would talk to Sasuke a little more. They went to lunch together. Naruto introduced the raven to the spicier side of Suna, taking Sasuke to restaurants that would never fit the bill for a business dinner.

In the casual atmosphere of the bars and ramen stands Naruto dragged him to, Sasuke took the opportunity to slowly drag the last three years from the blonde's hesitant lips.

Naruto hadn't planned on leaving Konoha. In fact, he had every intention of spending at least a solid month sitting on his couch in depression, but by pure chance Gaara decided to pay a visit that week. The redhead refused to hear any of the Uzumaki's whiny sob stories.

_Naruto sat slumped on the couch, his face covered in unshaved fuzz and clothes wrinkled from constant wear. _

"_It's no good, Gaara. I thought he trusted me," Naruto moaned to the unsympathetic boy seated properly on the worn, green chair._

"_Who would?" his friend scoffed. "You look like shit and smell worse. If I were the Uchiha, and thank kami I'm not, I wouldn't trust you."_

"_Gaaaaaaara!" the blonde pouted into his pillow. Gaara was his friend. He was supposed to make Naruto feel better, not self-conscious about his current odor. _

"_Listen, Naruto, I don't feel sorry for you," Gaara continued seriously. "Yea, you got dealt a bad hand, but life isn't over. I never took you for a quitter."_

"_I'm not a quitter!" the outraged man announced, flinging his pillow. "I just need a next step."_

_The redhead grinned, "Well I can help you there."_

_Naruto's tan ears perked. "How so?"_

"_I have an idea," Gaara explained. "I want to start a company, one that will be large enough to merge the biggest names out there. I already have a foundation set in Suna."_

"_I'm no good at business planning. The Uchihas will tell you that. What would I do in that kind of place?" Naruto asks, his interest dwindling._

_With a final smirk, Gaara played his ace. "I need someone to manage the people?"_

_The blonde stared at him blankly._

"_People," his friend insisted. "I'm awful with them. I don't like talking to them; don't like dealing with them. _You_ do! Be in charge of the communications aspect."_

_No matter what people claimed, Naruto was not stupid. He knew his gift for getting along with others so easily was a rare gift, and Gaara's idea set the wheels spinning in his head._

"_People, huh? I can do that."_

"So Sabaku-san brought you in just so he wouldn't have to talk to people?" Sasuke asked in surprise. It was brilliant. Why hadn't he thought of it before?

"Yea," Naruto laughed. "But I had to learn about the stuff I was talking about. After awhile it just started clicking, and Gaara decided to promote me to VP."

"And here we are," Sasuke said, toasting up his glass of wine.

"Here we are," Naruto agreed, raising his own to make a firm clink.

The night before Sasuke was the leave, the Uchiha sprawled himself across his bed and stared at eh ceiling. His thoughts orbited around Naruto. He knew what he was feeling.

Some called it lust, others referred to it as love. For Sasuke, it was a feeling of pure need. Every bit of him needed to see Naruto, to be with him, talk to him, touch him. Deep down, the raven always knew his heart would be given to his first friend, but the actual feeling overtook him in a way he could never have prepared for.

The raven groaned in annoyance. He couldn't rush things. That would only scare Naruto away, but the wait was killing him.

"I can't do this," he murmured into the air. "I can't let him out of my life again."

Uchihas didn't feel fear, but they did dread. And Sasuke dreaded the thought that of returning to his humdrum life in Konoha without Naruto more than any scare the blonde would receive from his forwardness.

Sitting up, Sasuke did the only thing he could. He put on a pair of casual jeans and the only navy T-shirt he had and grabbed the hotel phone to call for a rental. Naruto had once accused the Uchiha of hiding behind the flashy suit and polished shoes, so Sasuke pulled on a pair of sneakers on his way out the door.

The rental car was waiting in the front, just like the raven had requested. Sasuke didn't want a driver. He didn't even want a showy car, so for the first time in years Sasuke slid into the driver seat of the SUV and pulled into the rushing traffic of Suna.

Flipping out a cell phone, Sasuke made a quick call.

"Hello?" a lazy voice answered after the fourth ring.

"Shikamaru-san, answer your phone. I don't pay you to just sit around and day dream," Sasuke snapped, annoyed at his employees lack of dedication.

"Well, actually, fearless leader, you do," the laid-back genius reminded sarcastically. Technically his job was to imagine more ways to help the company, and usually that meant the brunette lying in field for multiple hours staring at clouds. "What could you possibly need at this hour?"

"I need you to find an address to go with a phone number."

"Fine, fine, Sasuke-sama. Read me the number," the other end of the phone sighed.

Sasuke didn't have to read anything. The number was seared into his brain after looking at the contact in his phone so many times.

Naruto had given each of them his home contact number in case an emergency occurred and his cell was unreachable. Night after night, Sasuke would sit on his bed, staring at the digits, debating with himself on whether or not to dial.

There was a slight pause before Nara Shikamaru prattled off the exact directions to Naruto's home. Sasuke followed the described roads and in less than ten minutes he found himself pulling up to a humble apartment building.

The place was ripe with age, but nowhere near decrepit. There was a homey feel to worn brick walls. Simple, but holding all the qualities for a happy home.

Sasuke nearly sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Naruto's apartment was on the third floor, second door on the left.

The Uchiha knew which entrance belonged to the dobe before counting. A slight sent of ramen wafted through the air, and a bright orange WELCOME mat with red lettering lay in front. Sasuke took a deep breath, mentally going over what would happen in the next couple minutes, and firmly knocked.

"Coming!" a muffled voice called.

Sasuke waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, the door swung open, and nothing Sasuke planned could prepare him for what he saw. Standing in the door frame, dripping wet from the shower and clad in a simple towel, was a man. A man whose red-hair and a pale skin were a striking contrast to the blonde locks and sun-touched complexion the raven had expected.

The man was none other than Sabaku Gaara.

**Hey there. I'm not really too pleased with how this chapter turned out, but what can you do?**

**The current plan is one more chapter, so please stick with me for my last update. It won't be immediate, but I have every intention of getting it posted in the next week.**

**Let me know what you think.**

**No flames.**

**Peace Out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the 3****rd**** and final chapter of It's Just Business. I apologize for the delay in posting, but there has been just too much stress to write lately. From now on all of my stories will be completely finished before I post the 1****st**** chapter.**

**Well, here it is**

**Yaoi, don't like don't read**

**I do not own**

Sasuke kept his outer emotions in a perfect state of apathetic. He met the red-head's gaze without a flinch, his dark eyes searching the other's for all of his unanswered questions.

"What are you doing here, Uchiha-san?" Gaara asked calmly. His face was neutral, not showing either dislike nor like.

"I thought Naruto-kun lived here, but it seems I was mistaken."

"Gaara!" a loud voice demanded from inside the apartment. "How many times have I told you not to open the door right after a shower? You'll catch a cold standing outside with wet hair."

Pulling the taller boy back a few steps by said wet locks, Naruto Uzumaki stepped in front. "Oh, Hey Sasuke," he greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to speak with you," the Uchiha replied slowly, his gaze never leaving the rd-head's, "but I see you already have company."

"Oh, Gaara's not company!" Naruto said brightly.

"I live here, Uchiha," Gaara said stonily.

Before Sasuke could demand answers, Naruto grabbed his sleeve and pulled him into the abode.

The apartment was small, but lavishly furnished. A dark red couch was pressed against one wall. The cushions were firmly stuffed and looked extremely comfortable. Two chairs were pushed into a corner. One was black leather while the other was a bright orange. Sasuke didn't have to guess who that belonged to.

A small kitchen was on the side and there was a hallway leading to more rooms, which Sasuke assumed were the bedrooms and bath.

"Sasuke, take a seat on the couch. Gaara, put on some clothes," Naruto ordered as he threw himself lazily onto the plush orange chair.

The two finally broke their stair as Gaara headed down the hallway and Sasuke placed himself on the couch.

"So what did you need?" Naruto asked. "Everything has been taken care of at the office, so this isn't a business visit."

"No, it's not," the Uchiha confirmed. "I need to say something. Not as representatives from Uchiha Corp. and Kazekage Industries, but as two men who were once best friends."

Naruto's eyes softened, but a wary guard went up. "I…"

Before he could finish that thought, Gaara reentered dressed in a casual red T-shirt and black sweat pants.

"Naruto, it's rude to not offer the guest even a cup of your lousy coffee," Gaara stated calmly, smirking slightly at the annoyed look crossing the Uchiha's features.

Flustered, Naruto jumped to his feet, "Shit you're right! Sorry Sasuke. Ignore that jerk; my coffee is actually the best!"

Naruto rushed off to the kitchen, leaving the two men sitting in a strained silence. Sasuke was aggravated. Uchihas always had plans, but the one time he was spontaneous enough to show up at the home of the one person he had ever really felt anything for, everything fell to pieces. Gaara's presence threw everything off balance.

Gaara's silent stare was unnerving, just like Sasuke had always known his own to be, but it wasn't a predatory look of one protecting his property. Instead, the red-head seemed more curious; curious yet untrusting.

"We're not together," Gaara said bluntly.

A bit shaken by the abruptness of the statement, Sasuke rushed to compose himself. "Excuse me?"

"Uchiha, they told me you were bright. Naruto and I, we are not a couple."

At first Sasuke was a bit confused, but slowly it melted away until a deep sense of relief sunk in.

"Then why do you live together?" Sasuke asked calmly, his face blank.

"Because Naruto needed someone, and I was there."

"So you're friends with benefits? Or do you prefer the term fuck buddies?"

Sasuke didn't know why he said it, but something boiled inside him. He hated the red-head. He hated that Gaara had done what he could not. So the Uchiha lashed out.

A crash drew Sasuke's attention away. Naruto stood at the door. The previously whole coffee mug lay in shattered pieces on the floor, the dark liquid seeping stains into the carpet, but the blonde made no move to clean it.

"Naru…" Sasuke started, trying to rise to his feet, but Naruto cut him off.

"You asshole. Get out of my home."

Before coherent words could cross the Uchiha's lips Naruto had slammed the door behind him, leaving a regretfully dumbstruck Sasuke.

"He's right," Gaara mused, "You are an asshole."

Sasuke shot him a glare, but it was halfhearted. "I always seem to screw up things when it comes to that guy," the raven sighed and ran a pale hand threw his formerly perfect hair.

"Why do you think that is?"

It wasn't a complicated question, but Sasuke's genius brain was let answerless. Sasuke forced himself to think, to arrange his thoughts in some sort of logical, coherent order that would make sense.

Finally, one solution rang true.

"He scares me," the Uchiha mumbled.

A brief look of surprise surfaced in Gaara's dark eyes. "Why?" he asked.

"He's all I've ever known, but he's so different, foreign. Naruto is everything I'm not, both in good and bad ways. It scares me that his mere presence sets the systematic world I'm meant to live in into chaos. It scares me that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I'll never be happy without him in my life." Sasuke knew his explanation was a clichéd line from a fairy tale, but he also knew that for him it was true. The last three years had been overwhelmingly successful for his company, but for Sasuke personally, the time had been meaningless. Naruto hadn't been with him. His world hadn't been complete.

"How much do you hate me?" Sasuke asked out of the blue. Part of the question was to break the tense silence following his rant, but mostly Sasuke just wanted to know the truth, and Gaara was above lying.

Suddenly, it mattered if Gaara detested the Uchiha. Gaara Sabaku was important to Naruto, and Naruto was important to Gaara. Sasuke understood that. If he wanted one, the other would come along, too.

To his surprise, Gaara let out a laugh. It was a bone chilling sound, but laugh none the less.

"It's not you personally I hate, Uchiha. I hate the man who would make my dearest friend cry. I thought I hated you. Before tonight I was convinced I detested every part of Sasuke Uchiha, but I don't. I can't hate the person who can say what you just said about Naruto truthfully. There was a painful honesty in what you just said to me, and that person I don't mind. It's the defensive wall you put up. The one that called us 'fuck buddies,'" Gaara gave the Uchiha a pointed look, causing Sasuke to lower his eyes in remorse. "That man I hate."

"I hate him, too," Sasuke said quietly.

"Then get rid of him," Gaara suggested bluntly. "If you can make that man disappear and tell Naruto what you just told me, tell him what you were going to before you saw me, I will tell you where he went."

Sasuke took the deal.

The building was abandoned, just like Gaara said. If the red-head's information was trustworthy, which Sasuke was inclined to believe was, then Naruto would be on the roof, sitting at the highest point.

Sasuke shielded his eyes to get a better view of the area. Under the stars, the empty roof shone with a dusting of silver light. Although empty, the space was eerily beautiful

Suddenly, Sasuke caught a glimmer of color. Focusing his eyes, Sasuke could just make out the crunched figure of a man wearing an orange jacket with blonde hair. It had to be Naruto.

Swallowing the instinctive call to alert his presence, Sasuke made his way silently to the boy. AS he got closer, the wind began to carry a faint tune. A few steps farther and Sasuke was able to identify that sound. Naruto was humming.

So lost in the sweet melody, Naruto remained completely oblivious to his newfound company until the chilled hand came down gently on his right shoulder.

The blonde jerked away from the touch and spun around.

"It's just me," Sasuke insisted gently, raising his hands in a show in innocence. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't frighten me, bastard," Naruto grumbled before turning away. "What do you want? I told you to leave."

"You told me to get out of your house," Sasuke pointed out. Ignoring the grim that got onto his perfectly pressed pants, Sasuke lowered himself to sit beside the blonde. "What are you looking at?"

Naruto didn't look at him, but he answered with his eyes angled upward. "The stars. This place used to be an orphanage before the city closed it due to lack of funds." Naruto breathed deeply before continuing on, "These places are all built the same. When I was little, I would come up to a roof identical to watch the stars and try my luck at seeing a shooting star and getting to make a wish."

"You never told me about that," Sasuke commented, a little hurt that something so important to his friend had been a secret from him.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders lazily. "I stopped looking after I met you."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

Finally, Naruto looked at Sasuke, but in the darkness Sasuke could not define the feeling in the man's eyes. "Because I thought my wish had already come true."

Sasuke felt a warmth in his gut, one he knew he didn't deserve. Naruto's dream had rested in his hands, and he'd crushed them.

"Why did you come here?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke drew in a breath before taking the plunge. "I wanted to apologize."

Naruto's eyes widened a bit, but he made no move to interrupt the raven. Sasuke was either all in or folding.

"I said something stupid back at your apartment. It's just, when I saw Gaara there, it made me angry," Sasuke turned his head to look right at the blonde. "I didn't like the idea that he is so much closer to you than I am."

"Sasuke," Naruto sighed, "Gaara and I are friends. We were always together for work and back when money was tight it made more sense to just split the rent somewhere than go at it alone..." Naruto was on the verge of saying more, but Sasuke silenced him with by placing a thin finger on his lips.

"Let me finish," the Uchiha insisted. "From the second I let you walk out of Uchiha Corp., out of my life, everything has been pointless. Business doesn't make me happy, Naruto."

"Coulda' fooled me," Naruto snorted. "What does make you happy then?"

Gently, Sasuke took the blonde's hand into his own. "You."

Suddenly, both of their eyes were drawn to the sky as a strike of light flashed across.

"A shooting star…" Naruto mumbled absently. "I've never actually seen one."

"What did you wish for Naruto?" Sasuke asked. "Did you wish for a friend like when we were kids?"

Naruto looked at him, blue sparkling in the night. "No, I have friends. I wished for someone to love me."

Leaning in slow, giving Naruto time to comprehend and turn away if he wished, Sasuke pressed his lips to the other man's. With every bit of feeling Sasuke's cold heart could muster, the Uchiha kissed his blonde under the stars.

And Naruto kissed him back.

Although the evening had been the most romantic cliché in the book, time did not stand still as it did in stories. Night turned to day, and day turned to afternoon, and afternoon lead Sasuke to an airport where he would be embarking on a plane that would take him back to his mundane like; back to his life without Naruto.

Also to his surprise, Naruto hadn't even showed up to see him off. The flight was boarding, and the blonde was nowhere to be seen.

The reason was painfully obvious, but Sasuke desperately tried to avoid the conclusion. If Naruto hadn't come, then he didn't believe in their relationship. Whether it was the distance of perhaps too much baggage, Naruto wasn't even giving them a chance.

That in itself broke whatever heart Sasuke had discovered himself to posses.

The Uchiha dragged himself up the plane to the first class section and slumped into his chair. What did it matter if everyone saw the prestigious Uchiha Corp. representative slouching? Sasuke was beyond caring.

The rustle of people situating themselves filled Sasuke's ears as he gazed out the window at the runway. The door to the terminal was closed, but for some reason he kept expecting the door to swing open and a crazy blonde man to run down the runway after the plane.

The crackling of leather alerted the Uchiha to the fact that the seat beside him had become occupied. Sasuke didn't care as long as the idiot would remain quiet.

"Hey there!"

No such luck.

Groaning, Sasuke was halfway to returning the man's greeting in a not so pleasant way, the Uchiha realized he knew the voice.

Turning, Sasuke saw exactly what he knew he would see, but it was still unbelievable. Naruto was dressed for travel, wearing nice pants and a comfortable button-down, and his grin spread from ear to ear.

"How are you today, Sasuke?" the blonde asked, obviously restraining a laugh.

"Naruto…" Sasuke forced out. "What are you doing on this plane?"

Naruto went ahead and realized his laughter. "It seems Kazekage Inc. has decided to open a new branch in Konoha. When Gaara offered me the position of running it, I really couldn't refuse," he replied with mirth.

"So you're coming back with me?" Sasuke demanded, his black gaze boring into the blonde.

Naruto kept his grin, but he shook his head. "No, Sasuke. I'm going back on my own as a business man," Naruto gave a quick wink. "You being there is merely a coincidental bonus."

Sasuke smirked slightly and took Naruto's tan hand. "You realize what this means, right? This means we're together, and no one else can have you. Not even Gaara."

"I always pegged you for the jealous type," Naruto mused easily. "We may be together, but you still haven't even asked me on a date yet."

As the plane began its take off, Naruto leaned his head onto Sasuke's shoulder and whispered, "Teme, this better not just be business."

Sasuke smirked.

"Never, dobe."

**That is it, the completion of It's Just Business. I'm not sure when I'll be posting new stories, but I hope this one entertained you for at least a little while. **

**No flames.**

**Peace Out**


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